Just three destinations today, but it is 11pm, and I am just starting the blog! After getting our car hire, (rental car on this side of the pond), we headed west to the Trim Castle. This is famous for two reasons: 1) it is the biggest Norman Castle in Ireland. And 2) much of Mel Gibson’s Braveheart was filmed here. It was built in the latter 1100’s as a defensive and administrative castle by the Normans. The local Irish were not happy. Think our forts in the American Wild West. The Native American’s were not happy.
One interesting note of history I bet you don’t know. Why do all of these castles have clockwise stair wells? Easy answer—Most soldiers are right handed, so as an enemy soldier goes up the stairs to attack, the defending knight can swing his sword with his right hand to lop off the enemies head! Now, what if you were a left handed peasant? There is a job for you too. The bedrooms had “wardrobe latrines” Basically a hole in the floor with a bucket below for you to use as your toilet.
Now, follow me closely, People rarely bathed or washed their clothes back in the Early and Middle Ages. Hence they were filthy and their clothes were filthy and vermin infested as well. It was cold, so multiple layers of rough, homemade cloth proved to be home for lice, fleas, and a variety of bugs and pests. This was the job for the left handed peasants. When people removed their clothes 3 or 4 times a year, it was the lefties job to, first stir the latrine pot, thus releasing the ammonia from the ‘bilge’, then hang the clothes over the aromatic mixture to kill all the vermin!! One would never used your right hand for this, it is for shaking hands and smacking women’s butts. You have heard the idiom, “dirty end of the stick”? Well, this is where it came from. Glad I am right hande
Our second stop of the day was at Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland. It will be famous for two reasons. 1) It is an 18th century estate of English Aristocracy recently given to the Irish National Trust to maintain and refurbish. in the 1700 and 1800’s it was where everybody who was anybody needed to be seen and heard. Like the Hearst Castle of Ireland. Now however, it is falling down and requires millions to keep it and the 100’s of acres of grounds safe and presentable. Kinda a “nice place to visit but I would hate to own it” situation. Oh, the second reason it will be famous---they are getting ready to film the new Dracula movie here. They are adding “stone” walls to some of the gardens in preparation for filming.
Our final stop of the day was Titanic Belfast. This is the incredible, new exhibit/museum for the Titanic. Finished last year for the 100th anniversary of the sinking, it has become a major destination for those visiting Ireland. The building is as tall as the Titanic was. With an interactive experience from vision to building to the inaugural/last voyage to what has taken place since. A real 21st century museum. Worth the time we spent.
A model of the first class cabin on the Titanic, very nice
Tonight we are staying in Draperstown, west of Belfast. It is another airbnb. Our hosts are completely renovating an old school house. We have the entire building to ourselves. It is huge. Pictures tomorrow.
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